Unknown Society

The Promise

"No, no," Kingston shakes their head, "You cannot go out on your own. Not in your condition."

Martinez sighs as she stops in her tracks. "Who will go with me?"

Kingston steps aside, and emerged a tall and slender Mutated Human with long black hair, skin like Martinez's, black hooves, a black shirt, curved horns, and gray eyes. "A descendant of one of our most respected Elders, yes. Her name is Kross—she was our guardian for the longest, and now she will be yours."

Martinez raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if she can protect me from what I'm about to go through."

"One can't judge a book by its cover, can they?" Kross utters, her voice strikingly similar to Bene, but more raspy.

Martinez widens her eyes a bit, then nods. "I see. Well then, we shall carry on."

"Be sure to stay on the path of safety and prosperity," Kingston smiles a bit, "it will get you far. Travel safely!"

Martinez crawls through a crevice to where The Hypnotics thrived in hiding. Kross follows behind, carrying a bag of herbs and other goods The Hypnotics had given to them. Martinez was compelled to get to know Kross better, so she asks her, "How did you join such a foreign tribe?"

Kross growls quietly as she replies, "Years ago, I was an unaffiliated citizen who came from a former tribe of hate. They raised me, for I was an orphan. I hated the world around me, until I ran away, then I became lost in a blinding blizzard. I woke up in a cave, and since then, they've given me a purpose that I thought I'd never get."

"Who gave you your name?" Martinez kept going. It was common to ask a question about someone's origin, such as how they got their name.

"My former tribe," she grumbles, "Sara was my given name." She shows Martinez the scars on her belly, which were scattered around her upper chest and waist, "The name Kross was given to me by my former tribe, thanks to all of these scars I endured." She pulls down her shirt. "Now, enough about me. What brought you to The Hypnotics?"

"I was found and brought to the tribe's rescue," Martinez put her paw over her face to block the sun. "I...I ran away from a helping paw that tried to save me, give me a purpose for life and why I should continue. I regret it, and now I'm lost."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kross nods slowly, her walking pace beginning to slow down, "You may have no sense of direction, but with me, I can take you back."

"How?"

Kross points upwards, to the bright sun. "The sun will guide us. The sun is the Elder of Light, and they will guide us to where we need to be."

Martinez looked skeptical. She wasn't a believer when it came to Gods or anyone who was religiously worshipped. "Last I checked, the sun only shines and burns our fur. How can it possibly guide us anywhere?" She sounded harsh and unconvinced.

"Trust the process, as they say," Kross says, guiding her north.

Martinez didn't want to trust her, but she followed her. The land was like a desert, similar as the desert Bene was found in. Martinez kept glancing behind her, as she felt another presence lurking behind, apart from Kross. Martinez was still rigid and high-alert, so this feeling of someone following them felt as though someone had pierced a thousand knives through her back. Sure, this feeling was painful, and it was also uncomfortable to say the least.

The sun pointed north, the clouds beginning to close in on their only source of direction. Luckily, Kross had another trick up her sleeve. The direction of the wind was another way, of course. She lifts her tail up slightly, feeling the wind whispering to continue north.

Martinez kept following Kross, but the feeling of being stalked became more and more intense. She grasps onto her dagger. Kross catches this, promptly telling her, "You are tensed. What is on your mind?"

"Is there someone following us?" Martinez looks back for a second.

Kross shrugs. "Not to my knowledge. Come on, try not to think about it."

Martinez kept her rigid and alert attitude. A moment goes by without a sound of a voice, and she slowly lets her guard down. That was until she heard low growling and hissing. Kross was right beside her, and she didn't make a sound at all. Martinez grasps her dagger again. Suddenly, a figure steps out in front of them with their paws up. Both Martinez and Kross immediately stop, Martinez pointing her dagger at the figure. After about a few seconds of silence, Martinez recognized them. "Little Spy?"

She nods. "I see that you've taken your mask off," she says.

Kross was confused, but chose not to say anything other than, "You know this little thing?"

Martinez nods. "Little Spy is an ally." She turns to her. "I thought you were dead."

Spy giggles a bit. "It takes a lot to hurt me, let alone kill me," she says, "but in all seriousness, I need your help."

"I'm in a bit of a mess myself, Spy," Martinez tells her, "I have to find the others."

"This will be with haste," Spy's left ear flickers, "I found another Human just beyond those trees." She points to her right where two naked trees stood beside each other, "She's stuck and could use our help."

"I do not plan on getting into more trouble," Martinez crosses her arms, putting her dagger away first.

"It wouldn't hurt to make another ally in the process, though," Kross adds.

Martinez lets out a long sigh. "Where is she?"

There was a Human with long, black hair, spiral-eyes, white skin, black hooves, a chipped left horn, and one of her paws were wedged in between two large boulders. She looked thin and weak to lift the boulders herself. Spy lead the two straight to her. The Human's ears lifted upwards, "Oh! You came back!" She exclaims.

Martinez felt a sense of relief knowing that she looked thin and weak. But she also did look like someone she knew. Martinez chose to shrug it off. "How did this happen?" She asks her.

The Human looked hesitant to answer, "The Sages. They left me here to die. I-If you can help me, I'll be on my way."

Kross was able to move the boulders, releasing the poor girl. Her paw was purple and bruised. "Thank you so much!" She says, looking down at her injured paw.

"Use this for your paw," Kross offers her a jar of homemade cream, "This will keep the pain and swelling at bay."

She takes some of the cream and rubs it against the top of her paw. "C-can I ask one of you guys a question?" She points at Martinez.

Martinez raises her eyebrows. "Go ahead."

"Have you seen my sister?"

"Who is your sister?" Martinez asked.

She looks at her with desperation. "Bene."